Cisco’s tech-lessons from the pandemic
Regulation, greater digital skills and gaining the trust of patients are all essential
The future of healthcare is convergent, tech- and data-driven and patient focused. This according to Brendan Cuthbertson, Head of Enterprise, Commercial and Regional Public Sector South Africa, at Cisco. The Covid-19 pandemic that has changed the world has also brought a mix of challenges and opportunities, including rapid technological and bio-technological advancements, with widespread applications in healthcare and beyond: “Health services across the region have stood up new hospitals in days, converted in-person consultations to virtual ones, and moved backoffice staff to the safety of their homes. At the same time, they’ve delivered ground-breaking research and development that will help us recover.”
Expanding access through technology
Many people have been able to access care that would not otherwise have been possible through telehealth and virtual consultations, and the Covid-19 crisis itself has greatly accelerated the acceptance of remote consultations — not only for patients, but also for healthcare professionals. “While this has clearly been forced due to efforts to minimise physical contact, it has worked well,” he says. “We know that, in many scenarios, patients respond to treatment better in their home environment than in hospitals.”
He says a virtual healthcare delivery model has also opened up the opportunity for greater involvement of family and other carers, which also improves care and recovery. “The critical contribution of families and friends in helping patients cope with illness cannot be overestimated, and it is vital that it is incorporated into our thinking.” Technology, in this sense, has assisted in bringing loved ones closer to the heart of patient care and facilitated their involvement in every step of the recovery process and healing journey.
Data-driven opportunities
Cuthbertson says data offers many opportunities, but acknowledges that robust regulation will be needed going forward. “Even with the enormous amount of data that has been collected during the pandemic, it’s striking how much there is still to learn about the Covid-19 virus.” He says patients will be more likely to share their clinical data for the greater good — provided that they can trust where and how that data is being used.
For this reason, it is important to involve patients in the design of the regulatory framework. “The scope and intent of the regulations also needs to be clearer to clinicians so that rules are properly applied and not feared.” After all, he says, regulations are not designed as a barrier to better patient care. “Trust is the key here, and building the right regulatory environment is really important to support that.”
Business continuity despite remoteness
A major change brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic across all industries and sectors has been a shift towards remote work, with office staff largely working from home where possible. “This is true in the healthcare sector too, where many back-office teams were quickly moved to safety, and we have seen that remote working can be successful and people can see the advantages of a hybrid model,” Cuthbertson explains. “As in many other sectors, we expect that in the future we will see a hybrid working environment, where offices are used for collaborative, in-person tasks but are mixed with much more frequent home working.”
What comes next?
Cuthbertson says there are two critical areas where concerted efforts will be needed if the benefits that digital transformation can bring to the health sector are to be realised.
The first is the improvement of digital skills — a challenge, he says, that is not unique to the health sector: “Across societies we need a higher level of digital literacy so that we can all have confidence in using technology. Ideally, we will get to a place where digital solutions are not forced on anyone, but taken up because people find them simpler, better and more effective. Creating a culture of learning and getting people comfortable and confident in using new technologies needs real focus.”
The second focus area will be in “extraordinary teaming” and partnerships. “We have seen great examples of this during the pandemic and we need to nurture those skills, with best practices shared across sectors and between organisations,” he says. “None of the many challenges the world faces right now will be solved in isolation, and partnership will be a core capability for any organisation.”
Rather than return to the old ways of doing things, it is important to retain the lessons from the pandemic going forward to ensure better, more equitable and accessible healthcare for all. “The biggest lesson the pandemic has taught us is just how important good health is and how important the healthcare sector is to society.”
The pandemic has proved again that a concerted health response is only as strong as its weakest link, and for this reason Cisco has committed to utilise technology and reimagine the future of health to ensure that no one is left behind.